Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that nomadic Gypsy and Traveller patients are not wrongfully refused access to GP services.

We are very clear that a general practice (GP) cannot refuse registering a patient based on the race or ethnicity, gender, social class, age, religion, sexual orientation, appearance, disability, or medical conditions of the patient. This encompasses patients from gypsy, Roma, and traveller communities.

Additionally, GPs have a responsibility to register people who are homeless, have no fixed abode, or are legitimately unable to provide documentation as proof of living within the catchment area. An individual should not be refused registration or appointments because they do not have a proof of address or personal identification. It is not considered a reasonable ground to refuse registration.

Practices also have a contractual duty to provide emergency treatment and immediately necessary treatment free of charge for up to 14 days to anyone within their practice area who isn’t registered with another provider of essential services.